Link to Hope
October is Sweets and Chocolates month on the Link to Hope Shoebox calendar. https://linktohope.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/Link-to-Hope-shoebox-calendar-design.jpg Sweets and chocolates are one of the essential items for both the family and elderly boxes. The calendar states ‘Who doesn’t love sweets and chocolates?’ They need to have a Best Before date of June 2027 and be of EU origin.
As always, it’s worth shopping around. Prices may vary over the month especially if some stores still have too many left before Halloween. I tend to choose slightly different sweets and chocolates for the family boxes compared with the elderly boxes.
In the family boxes I try to add a mixture of sweets and try to include small packets so they potentially last longer and are easier to share. The swizzles multi packs are good, but I remove them from the outer pack as we’re asked to remove as much plastic packaging as possible.
I generally avoid the bags of chews – partly because I tend to find that they become sticky very quickly and potentially leave sticky traces on the other items in the shoebox. At the time of writing Home Bargains, B&M and Lidl are the cheapest for the Swizzle packs at 89p a pack for the scrumptious, double lollies, chews, mini love hearts etc. The same sweets are £1.00 in Tesco with a club card otherwise they are £1.25. Asda didn’t seem to have the smaller packs, they are £1.00 in Morrisons reduced from £1.25 and £1.00 in Sainsbury’s with a Nectar card, but alternatively they are £1.25 – £1.30 a pack.
3 Packs of Fruittella or Mentos are 99p in B&M and Home Bargains and easily divided between boxes and don’t take up too much room 😊.
Skittles multi packs range from £2.25 – £4.45 for a pack of 18. On the Asda website they are listed as £2.00, but in my local store the shelf ticket said £4.25. Home Bargains and B&M both have them £2.25. Sainsbury’s, Morrisons, and Tesco all have them for £2.25 if you have their store card, if not they are £3.85, £4.45, and £4.00 respectively without their store cards.
For the elderly boxes I tend to opt for boiled sweets and/or chocolate. Home Bargains have some great options – bags of Chocolate Limes or lemon sherbets are 69p and bags of Fox’s Glacier Mints or Fox’s Glacier Fruits are 89p a bag. The Fox’s Glacier Mints or Fruits are £1.38 in Asda or £1.50 in Tesco or Morrisons. I tend to buy dark chocolate bars for the elderly boxes and Lidl, Morrisons and Sainsbury’s all have plain dark chocolate bars for 59p. Adding dark chocolate feels like you’re adding something special to the shoebox—something they might enjoy a little at a time to make it last longer.
It’s also time to start packing your shoeboxes, especially if like me you do quite a few shoeboxes. Also check online to find the contact details for your nearest area receiver.
The Farm Animal Sanctuary
There are a couple of events coming up at the Farm Animal Sanctuary. The first is the Spooky Sanctuary event on Friday 30th and Saturday 31st October, at 11:00 – 3:00 each day.
The second event is the Festive Fair on Saturday 21st November from 3:00pm – 6:00pm. There will be lots of stalls selling festive food and craft and gift stalls, plus Santa’s Grotto. You’ll also have chance to meet some of the animals. I will have a stall there raising funds for the sanctuary. The event is held in one of their barns, so if you’re going to attend, dress up warm.
Tickets available online or pay on the day. https://thefarmanimalsanctuary.co.uk/events/
Bargain Buys
I’ve only come across one reduced bargain this month and that is the dog mug used in my elderly £10.00 shoebox challenge. The mug is reduced to 50p and there were 2 designs available in my local Morrisons store, a spaniel or a golden retriever, both are cute and the mugs themselves are a pleasant shape.
Not reduced, but I made a trip to a Proper Job in a neighbouring town I was visiting for a vegan event. I bought a few more small hot water bottles which were £1.20 each, a couple of calculators for a £1.00 each, a set of 20 felt pens for 75p, a couple of wooden puzzle/models for £1.00 each and a set of 3 nail clippers for £1.00.
I also found a different charity shop in the same town which had soft toys, head scarves and ties for 50p each, which is much cheaper than my local charity shops.
Till next month